Local businesses raise money for non-profit organizations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:

Mary Leamons, Owner of Go Local Advertising, LLC, 713-823-1713; mary@golocaladvertising.com

Local businesses come together to raise money for non-profit organizations

(Cypress, TX) (Houston, TX) The owner of Go Local Advertising, LLC, Mary Leamons, announced today that her company’s new program, Eat Local Rewards, has generated over $3000 of commerce for local businesses. A significant portion of the funds are earmarked to be donated to local non-profit organizations.

The Eat Local Rewards program has been three years in the making. Mary and her husband Josh started a website, www.EatCypress.com in the fall of 2008 with the idea of giving the locally-owned and operated restaurants a place to market themselves to the community. “We wanted to help small businesses, and as we grew, we adapted to the needs of our clients.” stated Leamons.

The EatLocalRewards concept was developed to bring together non-profit with local businesses. The collaborative program gives the non-profit organizations the opportunity to raise money without buying or selling anything through the use of a free swipe card. The card holder activates the card online, selecting their choice of non-profits listed in the database. When the card is used at participating merchants, a portion is donated back to the organization.

“This program is truly making life better for kids in Cy-Fair” stated Emily Heineman with the Cy-Hope Foundation. “It is so easy for the non-profits to benefit, all we have to do is give the cards to the congregation, everything else is done for us.”

Go Local Advertising,LLC maintains that a core value of the company is to be an active member of the community and to focus on giving back. With this in mind, EatLocalRewards was created. EatLocalRewards collects earned funds from participating merchants and distributes the funds to participating non-profits. The partnering nonprofits include the several Cy-Fair ISD Elementary Schools, Cypress and Northwest Assistance Ministries, Layla Grace Foundation, and Boys and Girls Country.

Mary Leamons, owner of Go Local Advertising, LLC can be contacted at 713.823.1713 or mary@golocaladvertising.com

Great Experience at WineStyles

We've been working with WineStyles Cypress since they opened on Barker Cypress 2 years ago. Of course my interest was selfish - (since I'm still searching for my favorite wine). My passion is to support the locally-owned-and-operated businesses in Cypress. We have focused on the restaurants in Cypress, along with the small businesses and franchises in the community.

My husband and I have purchased wine through all the main retailers, HEB, Spec's, (even a gas station in Flatonia, TX). We have yet to find a place to find wine that rivals the experience at WineStyles.

The owners, Mary Kay and John Henry, take their time to listen to what you like, and don't like, about wine - and find a bottle that suits your tastes.

The no-pressure attitude makes it feel like you are buying wine from a friend, someone who cares about finding the perfect match - whatever the occasion.

When planning an event, we make a stop at WineStyles part of the agenda. No matter if we are going to a friends' house for dinner, or picking a bottle to take to our favorite BYOW restaurant (like La Parmigiana or Palio's Pizza) - a quick stop in will ensure we won't be disappointed.

And if we ever purchase a bottle that is not exactly what we are looking for - they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee return policy - just cork the bottle and bring it back for a full refund. Who else does that?

Even though WineStyles is a franchise business, Mary Kay and John live in the community, so money spent at WineStyles Cypress is spent in Cypress. Supporting this business supports Cypress!

You can try it, buy it, and drink it there! - Make sure to take your discount card for special deals!

HAPPY New Year

So it's been a pretty nutty few weeks (or months) since my last entry.
Struggled with keeping up with it, trying to balance between honest posting and not getting too personal -
I guess I came the realization that being a stay/work at home mom is tough, but not the toughest thing in the world to be. I really get to enjoy the best of both worlds. Even though the twins drive me absolutely nuts - especially when I am trying to be "professional" (like on the phone!), I have to sit back and realize that they are only going to be small once and I need to appreciate their need for my attention. Pretty soon they'll be running out the door without a second thought to holding my hand. The "Look at ME, Mom" will turn into "I'll see you later" so I better enjoy them when I can.
THAT being said - I've turned over a new leaf - and stopped taking myself so seriously :)
I had a great conversation with an old friend of mine the other day, she said things will happen as they should if you give up the worry and control and let God handle your worries - man that was great advice. What a relief it is to know that trust and faith can give your mind peace.
I love doing what I do - learning about and promoting businesses is just half of the fun. I have learned more about what I can (and can't do) over the past year than I have in the past 31 years of being alive! So I don't fit in the mold of "working mom" or "stay-at-home mom" - but anyone that knows me can tell you that I have never really fit into any of the normal molds anyway :)
SO here they are, 2010 "things to strive for" - typing it up so I can hold myself accountable:

1. Follow through with what I said I am going to do - but most importantly, NOT promise I am going to do something that I have no intention of doing (what I mean is, learn to say NO)
   
2. Set realistic deadlines - tell the truth about when I can get things done
3. Let the kids take care of problem solving for themselves. It will be VERY difficult not to step in, but they need to learn how to handle the little things. "The worst thing you can do for someone you care about is something they can do for themselves" - Big Abe
4. Heard it a million times - "if you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of others" so... yeah, I need to do that....
5. Stay connected - I am not alone in anything I do. More than likely someone else has been through it or has good insight on how to handle what's going on. I have special people in my life that want to be a part of it (for whatever reason :)) So staying on the grid is important.
6. NOTHING is guaranteed or permanent, so do what you can when you can, don't wonder "if only" - If you've given it your full effort, that's all you can do.

I'm so excited about what 2010 has in store for me as a business owner/wife/daughter/mother/friend - oh - and it's not going to work out the way that I think it should, so I'm going to give away some worry...

I'll let you know how it goes...

So I learned a few things today -
1) Do not put your purse under the seat of the grocery cart when your kids are with you, so when they spill their water bottles, it only goes in your cart - not your purse.
2) Only give your kids water bottles with the sports tops so when they spill, they don't dump in your purse.
3) Bring your kids cups with you at the grocery store, so you don't have to worry about what water bottles are available for purchase.
4) Go to the grocery store without your kids.

I am PRO-fesh-a-nal

So, today is/was Friday - I wasn't expecting to "work" since it's Friday I had the kids all day. I received an e-mail last night from a client I had been working with saying they were ready to proceed. All I needed to do was "pop-in" and have the client sign a quick agreement and be on my way... simple, I can take my 3-yr-old (90% potty-trained) twins, right?
We went into the restaurant, to the counter to order since it's one my kids favorite places, and was going to find a booth to sit and wait for the manager....
So I ordered, and paid, just as my son started crying (not a big cry, like an "oh no" cry) - looking down I saw the puddle growing at his feet... drat....
I let the girl at the counter know what happened - apologized and snuck back to the car to change the boy's clothes..
AT LEAST I ran into the manager after this happened and didn't have to go into details why we were just walking in but our food was waiting for us at the counter.
I guess that is just one of the glories of being a "work-at-home" mom - thanks for doing business with me, and by the way, do you have a mop?

Other joys...
1) Kept an appointment even though I had my daughter w/me - fortunately she slept the whole time, I am sure it was a tad distracting!
2) Hung up as soon as someone answered b/c my kids started screaming at that exact moment. (after quietly watching TV together.. thinking I could sneak a quick call in...)
3) Had COUNTLESS conversations interrupted by crazy toddler talk - needing a banana cookie, apple juice in my monster cup, more white raisins, help with going potty... etc.

I complain, but really the biggest joy is getting to do it all. Really. I love the fact I can stay at home with my kids while I work... It's nuts 90% of the time, but in the end I hope it will all be worth it. I hope I hope.

Supporting Local Businesses

What a day! Last night our garage door stopped working, just stopped! There was no way to open it manually, so I was panicked - we are stranded at home! Lots of plans for Thursday (MDO most importantly).
10:00pm Wednesday night - I called a local carpenter that has done some work for us (Cornerstone Carpenters) GREAT local company - left him a message on the work phone. I didn't know if he could help, but I was hoping that he could at least come by or refer someone to come over and see what they could do.
7:45 am Thursday morning, Joel Cornerstone calls - asks me questions about what is going on and tries to help me over the phone. Figured out it was a problem that needed professional help (the garage door, not me :), gave me the number of a company he recommends.
8:10 am, Crown Overhead Door answers the phone, - "We'll have someone there within the hour"
8:45 am, Ivan shows up, assess the situation, quotes a price, says "I'll have you all fixed up within the hour"
9:20 am, me and the kids are loaded up and on our way to MDO!

I cannot say enough good things about either of these companies - Fast, friendly, professional - and I was not expecting to be able to leave the house today, much less at 9:20 in the morning!

I appreciate the customer service of Cornerstone Carpenters, even though garage doors are not on his list of services, he helped anyway!
Crown Overhead Door was there and gone in less time than they promised - reasonably priced and had me on my way!

Glad to know there are companies out there that run their business this way - I now have both their numbers in my phone if I ever need them again!

First Day on the Blog...

Through much consideration and research (not like it's a big deal!) I have started a blog. I am going to adapt and change and grow...

My family has motivated me to start-up an online marketing website for the community. It keeps me busy and hectic, but it is tons of fun learning about small business and marketing. I have also met several amazing people, all willing to help in their way. The main thing I've learned that has helped is to keep it all personal. People like doing business with people, not businesses. If they don't like you, they won't buy, no matter what the product is. Fortunately for me, I'm likable :))

Me 5 years ago - boohoo, look at me, married, no kids, a job - boohooo
Me 3 years ago - whoohoo look at me, married, 2 kids, no job
Me now - oh boy, look at me, married, 2 TODDLERS, at home business, zero sleep!

Sometimes I wish for my old problems back, but really, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love my husband, my kids, my family and friends that have still hung around through all of my neglect :) I'm a total mess, but that's me -